Journal
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG DISCOVERY
Volume 6, Issue 6, Pages 653-661Publisher
INFORMA HEALTHCARE
DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2011.573782
Keywords
Chagas disease; high-throughput screening; reporter genes; surrogate markers; Trypanosoma cruzi
Categories
Funding
- US National Institutes of Health [R01AI-22070, R01AI-33106, R01AI-082542]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Introduction: Chagas disease is the highest impact human infectious disease in Latin America, and the leading worldwide cause of myocarditis. Despite the availability of several compounds that have demonstrated efficacy in limiting the effects of Trypanosoma cruzi, these compounds are rarely used due to their variable efficacy, substantial side effects and the lack of methodologies for confirming their effectiveness. Furthermore, the development of more efficacious compounds is challenged by limitations of systems for assessing drug efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Areas covered: Herein, the authors review the development of Chagas disease drug discovery methodology, focusing on recent developments in high-throughput screening, in vivo testing methods and assessments of efficacy in humans. Particularly, this review documents the significant progress that has taken place over the last 5 years that has paved the way for both target-focused and high-throughput screens of compound libraries. Expert opinion: The tools for in vitro and in vivo screening of anti-T. cruzi compounds have improved dramatically in the last few years and there are now a number of excellent in vivo testing models available; this somewhat alleviates the bottleneck issue of quickly and definitively demonstrating in vivo efficacy in a relevant host animal system. These advances emphasize the potential for additional progress resulting in new treatments for Chagas disease in the coming years. That being said, national and international agencies must improve the coordination of research and development efforts in addition to cultivating the funding sources for the development of these new treatments.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available